


Like A Rose

by texasbelle91



Series: Six Years and a Rose [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Bethyl freeform, F/M, Hormonal Beth, Mentions of Rape, Physical Abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual Abuse, Work In Progress, bethyl, emotional abuse and trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 09:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3482681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/texasbelle91/pseuds/texasbelle91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <strong>"It took a while to get here, it's been a long hard road and I'm still bouncing back, heaven only knows, how I came out Like a Rose"</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <strong>Sequel to "Six Years".</strong><br/>If you haven't read it, you should as that story will be referenced in this one. BETHYL!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Six months later..._

The weather had turned warm again and the walkers became impossible to avoid while they were on runs.

They had to abandon their safe house a month ago when a sudden wild fire got too close.

In six months time, Beth had shown everyone she was a force to be reckoned with. She was stronger than she was before and though she slowly began to believe there were still good people again, she wasn't as trusting as she had been.

Her relationship with Daryl was stronger than ever and they had all become a closer family since her return.

She was once again their light. She was singing and laughing and full of happiness.

Sure, she may have been overcompensating at times but no one called her on it.  
_______

They should be used to moving around by now, most of them are, but it's harder to do when there's more children with them than before and another one on the way.

Number six to be exact.

Well, number six for Daryl and Beth.

They found out she was pregnant a few weeks before they had to leave the safe house and since then, they've been searching for somewhere that could possibly be permanent.

Daryl, Rick and Maggie have been hell bent on finding a place. They want Beth and the baby to be comfortable and safe but they don't want a repeat of what happened with Lori.  
________

"I think I know of a place," Maggie blurted out.

Everyone was gathered around a fire eating what little bit of meat they had.

Most of them were giving some of theirs to kids while Daryl and Rick gave theirs to Beth.

Usually she would tell them no and make them eat it but tonight she was extremely hungry so she didn't bother protesting.

"Where do you think we can go?" Rosita asked Maggie.

Maggie looked at everyone and shook her head, "There's two places I can think of. Our farm and the prison."

The group fell silent at Maggie's words.

"Maggie, you can't be serious," Glenn spoke up.

"Yes, I am. Those were the only two places we felt safe," she argued.

Beth didn't say anything when Maggie suggested the farm and the prison. She sat there quietly and stared at her food.

She lost her appetite as she listened to everyone arguing and talking about which would be the safest and the easiest to repair.

She jumped up when she felt her heart start to race and her hands started shaking.

She looked at everyone and they stared back as she backed away from them slowly and the images of her home being overrun and her daddy being killed flashed through her head.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself.

_This cannot be happening again!_


	2. Chapter 2

Beth woke up the next mornin' feeling like everything was a bad dream.

How could her sister think it was a good idea to go back to the farm or the prison?

Beth certainly didn't want to live at either place. She didn't want to remember anything that had happened there.

The sun hadn't come up yet and the kids were all asleep so she just laid there staring at the roof of the tent.

Surely Daryl wouldn't drag her back to those place or would he?

She prayed he wouldn't.  
__________

Daryl sat on the hood of one of the cars on watch.

He kept rackin' his brain, tryin' to find an answer as to what he should do.

Everyone seemed to agree they should make their way back to the prison or the Greene farm.

He couldn't carry Beth back there or could he?

He really didn't want to carry her back to the prison but maybe they could go back to the farm.

It would be someplace safe for all of them and more importantly it would be a safe place for Beth to give birth.

That's all he really wanted. A safe place to raise his kids and be with his family.

There was no way in hell he was gonna go off on his own with a pregnant wife and five kids. He needed his family and that's exactly what everyone is to him.  
_________

"Hey," Beth's sweet voice made him smile. Even after all these years, she still had the same sweet voice that Daryl loved. That was a part of his Beth that didn't change.

He held out his hand to help her up onto the car.

When she was seated next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder and kept his hand in hers.

"What're we gonna do?" She asked softly.

Daryl shrugged and squeezed her hand.

"What'd you wanna do?"

"I don't think I can go back but I'll go wherever you want to," she smiled at him.

"We're gon' talk 'bout it today. Make plans on who's gon' go and check things out. Think they said somethin' 'bout Abraham goin' ta see what kinda safety shit he can rig up and Eugene goin' ta see if he can fix up some shit too," he said to her.

"I think it's a good idea for them to go. Daryl, I don't wanna go back to either but if I had to choose, I'd choose the farm. Daddy would've wanted us to be there. He would've wanted his grandkids to grow up there."

Daryl squeezed her hand again and turned to kiss her forehead, "We'll figure somethin' out, baby. 'Til then...,"

Beth cut him off when she pulled him closer and into a kiss.

"I love ya," he whispered to her.

"I love you, too."  
__________

Later that evening, everyone gathered for a meeting.

It was decided that Maggie, Carl, Michonne, Abraham and Eugene would go to the Greene farm to see what condition it was in and after they returned, they'd wait a few days before sending another group to check out the prison.

Beth expected Daryl to go to the farm when they asked him to but she was relieved when he turned down the offer.

The group would head out towards the Greene farm before noon the next morning.  
__________

Daryl watched Beth as she interacted with all the kids.

That was somethin' he knew he would never get tired of seein'.

The only thing he hated and could live without seein' again is the way their kids and Beth reacted to certain things.

They've all been together for over six months now but the kids are still a little skittish around everyone except Beth. They all flinch away from Judith, little Beth and even Caroline and himself. Though they are slowly getting better.

Watching them now, he's actually surprised at how well Caroline adjusted to everything. Since the beginning, she knew who here daddy was and knew he would protect her and that's exactly what Daryl has done and will continue to do.  
_____________

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't see Beth leave the kids and walk over towards him.

In fact, he didn't notice her until she sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, I was thinkin'," she said.

"Uh oh, that cain't be good," he smirked.

She smiled and playfully slapped his arm.

"Okay, what were ya thinkin'?" He asked.

"Well," she started, "we're not gonna know if we're havin' a boy or girl 'til I have the baby and I was thinkin' 'bout names."

"And what kinda names ya been thinkin' 'bout?"

She shrugged and looked towards the kids, "I never got to name any of them except Caroline. Ya know I love them all but even if I had of been able to name them, I couldn't have."

"Why's that?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Caroline is named after my mama and grandma, Caroline Annette. I always wanted to name my kids after people who mean somethin' to me and I don't think I could've done that with them."

Daryl nodded his head understandingly and let her continue.

"But with you, I want this baby's name to mean somethin' to both of us. We don't have to use these names, we can use whatever you want but I like Hershel or Shawn for a boy and for a girl, I'm not really sure but I've always loved the name Savannah."

Daryl smiled and kissed her, "I like all those names jus' fine."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I think he should be named after yer daddy. He was a good man."

Beth was excited to hear him say that. She shifted in his lap so she straddled his legs and kissed him then laid her head on his shoulder.

She didn't want anything more than for him to hold her and make her feel safe and loved so that's what he did.

If he could, he'd hold onto her for the rest of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

The group had been gone for almost a week and everyone left at the camp was getting anxious but none more so than Beth.

Beth had been trying to teach the kids with some text books they had found but she was having a hard time concentrating so she gave up on it for now and let the children play.

She wanted so much to go home to the farm and the more she thought about it, the more she wouldn't mind going back to the prison.

They both held bad memories for her but she felt she could overlook those in order to give her children a safe home.

One thing she thought about the most was the idea that maybe she could find comfort in those places. A comfort she needed but no one could ever give her, not even Daryl.

"Mommy, mommy!" James shouted as he ran towards her. She held out her arms and scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

One thing that she found that kept her mind off of the past was watching all the kids. She thought a lot about how they all had their own personalities and how they would be when they got older.

They all seemed to be adapting well to the constant changes and whatever else life threw at them. As far as she could tell, none of them showed signs that something was wrong and that was just one more thing she had begun to fear. There was one child in particular that worried her and the others though.

Everyone had noticed that Mary-Anne was becoming more withdrawn than she had been a few months ago.

They knew she hadn't suffered as much as Caroline had and she hadn't seen as much as Judith had. But there was something very worrisome about her behavior.

They had determined there were problems with Mary-Anne, she just didn't understand things the way the others did.  
___________

Several members of their family had expressed their concerns about Mary-Anne's behavior to Daryl over the last few weeks but they were all afraid of mentioning it to Beth.

She was Beth's daughter and she would do whatever she had to to protect her. Even if that meant dismissing the concerns the others had.

Daryl had promised he would talk to Beth about Mary-Anne but he found himself unable to do so several times.  
____________

Though he knew he had to bring it up, he waited until things had settled down and all the kids were in bed.

He was sure Beth's reaction wouldn't be good and he didn't want a confrontation. The last thing he needed was for the kids to think he didn't love them and for them to hear their mom and dad arguing, which he knew was very possible.

He pulled Beth aside and asked her to follow him away from the camp.

As they walked, he squeezed her hand to the point she tried to pull away.

"Daryl?" Beth asked.

He grunted in response.

"Daryl, you're hurting my hand," she whispered. He wasn't trying to hurt her, he just never wanted to let her go.

He loosened his grip on her hand and pulled her close to him.

"Ya know I love ya an' I love tha kids, right?"

Beth looked at him and smiled.

"Of course I know that. I love you too and so do the kids."

He looked away and took a ragged breath, "Beth, there's somethin' we need ta talk 'bout."

Beth pulled her hand away from him, crossed her arms and leaned back on a tree.

Daryl was momentarily worried that she thought he was leaving her or some shit like that.

"I know what this is about," she spoke softly but Daryl didn't miss her voice crack, "I know somethin's wrong with her but I...I don't know what."

Daryl let out a sigh of relief and then tried to explain himself when Beth looked at him angrily.

"Ever'one's worried 'bout 'er. I am, too."

"Daryl, I don't know what to do with her. She's my baby. I wanna help her."

"I know," he pulled Beth into his arms, "I know ya do. She's a kid but she's been through a lot. Ever'one has but we need ta find a way ta help 'er 'fore she gets worse."

"It's probably her way of dealin' with everything," Beth reasoned, "she just needs time. I'm sure she'll get better."

Daryl closed his eyes. He thought that maybe Beth would understand what he was trying to say and that she would see Mary-Anne needed some kind of help but the more they talked, the more he saw that Beth wasn't seein' things the way they all were. And he couldn't blame her for that.

"Beth, she needs help. Maybe ya should talk to 'er an' see if she tells ya what's wrong. Maybe that's all she needs. But if she gets worse, we'll have to find her some kind of medication...," Daryl was interrupted when Beth slapped him.

"She doesn't need any medication. She's not sick! She's a just a kid, Daryl."

"Bethie, I know but she beginnin' ta act like you did when we got ya back."

Beth pushed him away from her. She didn't want to think of the possibility of that. There's no way her daughter was that messed up. Mary-Anne had been treated better than any of the other kids at that camp so there was no way she was as messed up as they all were thinkin'.

Beth stopped herself from sayin' anything out loud when she realized what she was thinkin'. How could she resent her own daughter? And to think it was because of something she had no control over made her sick.

She hated the fact that her daughter had been treated better than her and the others but she hated herself more for thinkin' like that.

Maybe she had somehow done something or said something to make Mary-Anne act the way she was. Maybe it was her fault.

She looked at Daryl through the tears in her eyes but couldn't speak a word of what she was thinkin' or felt. What would he think of her if she did?

She did the only thing she could do, she started walkin' away but stopped and wiped her eyes.

"Daryl, tell everyone to back off. Mary-Anne is my daughter. I'll make sure she's fine."

"Beth, she's _our_ daughter and ever'one has a right ta say what they think. We're all family."

She shook her head, "No, she's _my_ daughter. Not yours."


	4. Chapter 4

Beth regretted what she had said to Daryl the moment the words fell from her lips but she couldn't take it back.

She had to find someone to talk to. Someone who would understand how she was feelin'.

Everyone in their family had all been through their own troubles but only one person had been through something that would be helpful to Beth.  
____________

Beth spotted Rick off to the side of the camp by himself so she made her way over to him and sat down.

"How ya feelin', Elizabeth?" He asked without lookin' at her.

"I don't know."

Rick turned to look at her, "What's wrong, Bethie?"

"I need someone to talk to and I don't wanna talk to Daryl about this. I'm not even sure if you'd wanna talk about it."

"What's it about?"

"Judith, Lori and Mary-Anne."

Rick sighed. He didn't want to talk about Lori but if it meant it would somehow help Beth, he would.

"Go ahead," he told her.

Beth bit her lip and tried to find the right words before she spoke.

"When...when Lori died, it took you awhile to even look at Judith. I remember wonderin' if you blamed her for Lori's death. Did you? How did you feel towards Judith?"

"Yeah," Rick couldn't lie to Beth, "I did blame her for Lori's death but she didn't kill her. I didn't want to be near her. I tried to hate her but I couldn't."

He looked at Beth and could see she was having trouble with what he said.

"Why do you ask, Bethie?"

"I asked because I...I know somethin's wrong with Mary-Anne but I think it's my fault. I love her but I realized I also resent her for the way she was treated back at that camp. She didn't get treated as badly as the others. I feel like I may have somehow done or said somethin' and she knows how I feel."

"I know how hard it is to think that but you can't help it. If you think she's actin' this way because of you, then you need to show her you love her."

Rick explained to Beth how he got over the resentment he had held towards Judith and how she could get over hers towards Mary-Anne.

Beth found it comforting that someone understood how she felt and wouldn't judge her for it.

She laid her head on Rick's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"Thank you, Rick. You're the best substitute dad a girl could ask for."

He kissed the top of her head, "No substitute. I'm the real thing."

Though they both missed Hershel and they knew Rick could never take his place, they both smiled. Rick had become like a second dad to her and was there when she needed his advice, just like her daddy was.  
_____________

Daryl gave Beth her space.

He didn't want to admit it but when she said Mary-Anne was her daughter, not his, he felt like his heart broke.

He knew she didn't mean it, she wasn't trying to hurt him. She was just trying to work things out.

He sat down by the fire to watched the kids play and was immediately attacked by Caroline.

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck.

He pulled her into his lap and hugged her.

Caroline may have been the oldest of his and Beth's kids but when it came to being around Daryl, she was his baby and if he was being honest with himself, she was his favorite. Though you'd never know by watching him with all the kids.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Is mommy sick again?"

Daryl's eyes began lookin' over the camp and Beth was nowhere to be found.

He felt himself beginning to panic. He knew what Caroline meant by "sick" and he prayed to God that Beth wasn't "sick" again.

He gave Caroline a reassuring hug and told her not to worry and that her mommy was fine.

He hated lyin' to his little girl but he didn't want her to be scared.  
_____________

After talking with Rick, Beth asked Mary-Anne to come with her and they went just outside the camp to talk.

Mary-Anne was hesitant at first. Even after all this time together, she wasn't sure if she could trust her mother, she obviously couldn't trust her father back at that camp.

Beth listened intently as Mary-Anne spoke.

She could tell there was something she wasn't being told but she didn't push it.

She knew Mary-Anne would tell her when she was ready.

When they'd finished their talk, Beth took Mary-Anne's hand and led her back to camp where they found Daryl with his crossbow raised.

"Where tha fuck'd ya go?" he asked as he lowered the crossbow.

"I went to have a talk with Mary-Anne."

Later on that night, the kids had all been put to bed and the adults were gathered around the fire.

Beth was tired but she didn't want to be alone.

She placed her hand on Daryl's before standing up and gave it a little tug.

Daryl gripped her hand and followed her to their tent.

"I'm sorry for what I said."

He didn't say anything, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her as close to him as he could.  
_____________

The next morning they awoke to the sounds of someone screaming.

Maggie, Carl, Michonne, Abraham and Eugene had all returned from the Greene farm.

The screaming was coming from Michonne who had broken her ankle and was bein' carried by Abraham and Carl.

Beth clung to Daryl as they all awaited news about the farm.

"It's a little run down but it can be fixed," Maggie said happily.

"Yeah, Eugene can fix up some kinda power source and it won't be that hard to fix a fence around the property," Abraham added.

Everyone was happy to find out they could be returning to the farm but they still needed to check out the prison before they decided which would be a better home.  
____________

As before, Daryl didn't volunteer to go to the prison.

He didn't want to leave Beth and the kids.

They wouldn't be leaving for a few days so now that they were back, Daryl decided he and Beth needed some alone time. Away from everyone.

He let Rick know where they'd be going just in case something were to happen.

Daryl led Beth down a long path through the woods. It led them to a different spot at the creek then they had been using.

Daryl spread a blanket out on the ground and watched as Beth laid down on it.

He laid down beside her and rested his hand on her stomach.  
____________

Neither of them spoke. They just laid there enjoying the silence and the fact that they were together.

Daryl couldn't stop thinking about something Beth had said.

He was sure she was right about Hershel wanting his grandchildren to be raised on the family farm.

If they all decided the prison was a better option, Daryl decided he wouldn't take his family there.

He knew it was a foolish idea but he wanted his kids to be raised at the farm and he was gonna make sure it happened.

With or without everyone else.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been several weeks since they decided to try to make a home at the Greene farm or the prison and in that time both places had been thoroughly searched.

After a lot of discussion, it was determined that the prison wouldn't be the best choice but there were still a few in the group who thought the farm was too much of a risk so they decided to stay where they were.

Daryl wasn't one of them. He wanted to raise his family on the farm.  
___________

By the time everyone woke up the morning after they decided to stay put, Daryl had packed up everything that belonged to him, Beth and their kids.

The others didn't bother with asking Daryl to stay, they knew he wouldn't.

"I can't believe y'all are actually leavin'," Sasha said as she hugged Beth, "I'm going to miss you."

Beth smiled and returned the hug but couldn't find any words to describe her feelings.

She wanted their entire family to come with them but she was happy to have Daryl and their kids.

Their journey to the Greene farm would be long and hard, especially with just her, Daryl and the kids but in the end, they knew it would be worth it.  
___________

It took nearly a three day walk before they found somewhere to rest.

Traveling was difficult for Beth but she never complained.

They found a little house to stay in for the night and Beth put the kids to bed before joining Daryl by the window.

"How much longer 'til we get there?" she asked him.

He slid his arm around her waist but didn't look at her, "However long it takes. We ain't gon' be travelin' day an' night with tha kids an' 'specially with you bein' pregnant."

Beth smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips before joining the kids in the bedroom.

Sometimes it was hard for her to believe Daryl had never been able to open up to someone with the way he treated her and the kids. It all seemed to come so natural to him.  
____________

Daryl had settled into a chair that was strategically placed in the darkness between the bedroom and the window.

From where he was seated, he could keep an eye on both but still be able to stop someone or something from entering the house.

Somehow, between having to keep watch, Beth coming to check on him and of course his angel Caroline coming to join him and listening to him tell a story, Daryl managed to get an hour of sleep.

He carefully moved Caroline from his lap to the couch before he went to check on Beth and the kids.

Seein' that everyone was fine, he eased the front door open enough he could see. He watched and listened for a few minutes before somethin' grabbed his attention.

He could hear someone talkin'. They weren't close but they were loud which was good because it gave Daryl a way to gauge how close they were getting.

He shut the front door just as quietly as he opened it and then made his way over to Caroline.

He gently nudged her shoulder until she was awake.

"Somethin' wrong daddy?" she said sleepily.

"I ain't sure, baby girl but I need ya ta go wake up yer mama an' tell 'er ta come 'ere."

Caroline did as she was told but nervously started to pace the room while Daryl told Beth about the people he had heard and asked her to make sure all the kids were awake and their stuff was packed in case they needed to leave.

When Beth walked out of the room, Daryl turned his attention to Caroline. He smiled at the way she was pacing but he had to stop her.

"Ya need ta go in tha bedroom," he told her.

"No daddy. I'ma stay with you. I'll help you 'case they're bad people," she said it as sweetly as she could and batted her eyelashes so there was no way he'd tell her no.

"Goddamn it," he mumbled but smiled and shook his head, "Yer too much like ya mama."

He made her hide between the couch and the wall as the voices drew nearer.

There was so little moonlight, he couldn't tell anything about the people but he could watch their figures move carefully about the street.

He watched as they opened the doors on every house but they never fully went inside them.

He lifted his crossbow and took a deep breath as he watched them approaching their house.

He knew that once they felt the resistance at the front door, all bets were off.

They quickly made their way to the front door and pushed on it.

The door opened slightly but not enough anyone could fit or see through.

He heard whispering before there was a knock.

"Daryl? Beth?" they called out.

Caroline jumped up from behind the couch with a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Daddy! It's them," she whispered excitedly.

Daryl lowered his crossbow and removed the barricades before opening the door.

Caroline was the first one out as she jumped up and down and hugged everyone.  
__________

Once they were all inside, Caroline ran to get her mama.

"Mommy, mommy! They're here, they're here!"

Beth was confused, "Who's here?"

Caroline rambled off names while Beth made sure the other kids were back in bed.

Beth smiled brightly when she walked into the living room.

"There's no way I could let my little sister go off and have her baby without me," Maggie said while hugging her.

They all exchanged hugs and greetings before settling in for the rest of the night.

With their family there with them, Daryl joined Beth and the kids in the bedroom.

He was more than happy to see that the rest of their family had decided to join them. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He knew it'd be hard without them and he was willing to take his chances but having them there meant he wouldn't be alone, he'd have help when it was time for the baby, he'd have help with keepin' watch, he'd have help with runs and gettin' food and he'd have help not only keepin' Beth sane but himself as well.  
___________

It took them nearly a week to get to the Greene farm from the house they had rest in.

They could have made it there sooner but Daryl didn't want to push Beth or any of the children to go faster than they were.

He was perfectly fine with their slow progress.

When Beth saw the farm house for the first time in so long she was in awe.

Everything looked so different but yet it looked the same. It was almost as if it were frozen in time.

After the house was cleared, Beth made her way up to her old bedroom with Daryl and all of the kids following her.

She turned the doorknob and smiled as a tear slid down her cheek.

She was finally home.


	6. Chapter 6

In the two months since they had returned to the Greene farm, they had part of their fence complete and were working on gettin' the solar panels in place.

Everything was coming along nicely. There hadn't been many walkers come through and it seemed there wasn't any threat from the living. If there was, they would be able to take care of it.

Their main concern was finding medical supplies since Beth was further along and they didn't know exactly how far along she was.  
__________

Beth had been keeping a close eye on Mary-Anne since they were at the camp.

She had had several conversations with her but nothing seemed to jump out to pinpoint what was wrong with her and that worried Beth.

Beth had come to learn that people were good at hiding things about themselves but could a child really be capable of that?  
_________

Beth was sitting on the porch with a cup of tea watching as Daryl, Michonne and Carl taught the kids how to use their knives better.

Mary-Anne was sitting alone, watching them as well.

"Maybe someone else should talk to her," Rick spoke from the front door, startling Beth.

She looked up at him and let out a deep sigh.

"I don't know. She doesn't want to be around anyone but me and she seems to be scared of me," Beth told him as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Maggie or Sasha could try," he said.

"They can't help," Beth paused and shook her head before she spoke again, "Carol told me about Lizzie. How she was messed up. But I haven't seen anythin' like that with Mary-Anne and neither has she. Mary-Anne is not crazy like that, Rick. She just doesn't do well around so many people."

"I know, Elizabeth."

After a moment of silence, Rick reached over and put his hand on Beth's stomach.

"How's my grandbaby?" he asked.

Beth laughed a little and smiled.

"He is fine," she said with confidence.

"You're so sure it's a boy?"

"Yeah! Everyone thinks it's a girl. Well, except you and Michonne. Neither of you have said what y'all think."

"And we're not going to."

Rick chuckled when Beth rolled her eyes.

"Well, it'll be gettin' dark soon. Why don't you head inside and get comfortable," he patted her arm, "I'll send Daryl in and I'll make sure the kids get to bed."

"Thank you," Beth said sweetly and smiled.

Rick stood and help her out of her chair before going into the yard.  
__________

Beth was already lying in bed when Daryl came inside.

They smiled at each other as he joined her on the bed.

"Food should be ready soon. I'll bring ya some when it is," he whispered as he placed his hand on her stomach and began rubbing it.

"I'm not really hungry," Beth whispered back.

There was no need for them to whisper but they loved the calmness it brought to the moments they shared like this and even though the world outside their bedroom walls is crazy, they want everything to be quiet, calm and loving for their unborn child.  
__________

It wasn't but an hour later when the food was ready and Daryl went downstairs.

Beth made her way to the bathroom for what seemed like the millionth time today. When she returned to the bedroom, Mary-Anne was standing by the door with her stuffed animal hugged tightly to her chest.

"Hey baby girl," Beth smiled lovingly but Mary-Anne made no effort to move.

"Hey, sweetie. What's the matter?"

Mary-Anne lowered her eyes.

"I don't like it here," she mumbled.

"Why don't you like it here, sweetie?"

Mary-Anne's eyes shot up to Beth.

"I wanna go home."

"We are home, baby. This is our home."

"No it's not. I wanna go home! I want my daddy!"

Mary-Anne was full out crying now.

"Your daddy is downstairs," Beth whispered and put her hand on Mary-Anne's shoulder.

"Not him! He's not my daddy!"

Beth jerked her hand away. She was hurt by Mary-Anne's words and she knew Daryl would be hurt by them too but more than being hurt, she was scared.

She was scared to death that the little girl standing in front of her, her very own daughter, wanted to go back to those monsters and was calling that evil man her daddy!

Beth's first thought was to yell at Mary-Anne, to tell her to get out but she didn't. She somehow managed to get on her knees and wrap her arms around her little girl.

"Mary," she whispered again, "please tell me why you want to go back. I need to know why you hate it here, why you hate me."  
___________

Daryl was about to open the bedroom door when he heard Beth and Mary-Anne talking.

He heard Mary-Anne say he wasn't her daddy and as much as it hurt, he pushed that aside.

He had never been one for eavesdropping but he had to this time.

"My daddy said we belong to him, mommy and if you left him, he would hurt us. I don't want him to hurt you, mommy."

"Sweetie, he won't hurt me and he'll never be able to hurt you. He's dead."

"No he's not, mommy. I've seen him. He watches us. I wanna go with him."

Daryl's heart stopped and he was sure Beth's had too.

How could that be possible?

He gutted the man himself. He watched him die and then he killed him again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"No," Beth whispered and shook her head.

"Mommy?" Mary-Anne stepped closer to Beth and grabbed her mommy by the hand. "Don't you love my daddy?" she asked.

Beth shook her head again, "No, baby. I don't love him and he is not your daddy!"

Mary-Anne started crying. "You don't love my daddy and you don't love me."

"Baby girl," Daryl said, stepping into the room, "yer mommy loves you an' so do I." He bent down to pick her up but she backed away from him.

"No you don't! I hate you! I want my daddy," she cried out, "I want to go with my daddy!"

Daryl turned to Beth who was crying almost hysterically now. He took her in his arms and held her while she cried.

"What do we do?" she finally managed to say.

"I don't know, baby."

Mary-Anne stared at her mommy and Daryl and tilted her head to the side with tears running down her face. When Beth looked back at her, she quickly looked away. "I want my daddy," she mumbled.

Beth moved forward and knelt down in front of her. "Mary, sweetie, you are not goin' back to your daddy."

Mary-Anne looked down then back up again before drawing back and slapping Beth.

Beth froze in shock as more tears welled up in her eyes.

Daryl didn't think before he rushed over and helped Beth up.

"Get tha hell outta here," he yelled at Mary-Anne.

When she ran out of the room crying, Beth turned to Daryl.

"Why did you yell at her like that?"

"She hit ya, Beth!"

"She's a child, Daryl! She doesn't know what she's doin'!"

"Like hell she does! She knows exactly what she did!"

Beth sat down on the bed crying harder than before.

Daryl lowered his head. "I'll go talk to her," he said softly. Beth just nodded.

* * *

 

Daryl looker in the kids room but Mary-Anne wasn't in there so he went downstairs.

"Daryl, what's goin' on with her?" Rick asked.

Daryl shrugged his answer, making Carol grab his arm and lead him into the living room where everyone was gathered around Mary-Anne who was curled up in the corner, shaking and crying.

"She...she slapped Beth an' I yelled at 'er," Daryl told him regrettably.

"Why did she slap her?" Michonne asked.

Daryl let out a long sigh. "She wants to be with 'er daddy."

"Okay," Maggie drug out, "why don't you just let her sleep in there with y'all?"

"I hate him!" Mary-Anne shouted, "I want my real daddy. Please!"

Daryl got on his knees in front of her and reached out to her.

"Ya cain't be with him an' ya ain't goin' back there," he told her.

She started crying harder. "I hate you," she shouted in his face, "you're not my daddy!"

"Daryl," Carol put her hand on his shoulder, "give her some space. Alright?"

He nodded.

"Come with me," she told him.

Daryl followed her into the kitchen along with Rick and Maggie.

"Now, Daryl, tell us what's going on," Carol said.

He rubbed the back of his neck then his face before speaking. "I don't know. She told Beth that she wanted ta be with 'er daddy. Told 'er she...she told Beth that she's seen 'er daddy 'round 'er. I killed 'im though."

Rick put his hand on Daryl's shoulder. "I hate to bring this up but we know Beth was raped by different men. She was with them for six years, Daryl. We don't know for sure that the man you killed was Mary-Anne's father. He was the man that had called Beth and Caroline his."

Daryl knocked Rick's hand away and stumbled backwards. "No," he growled, "I fuckin' killed him! Ya hear me?! I killed that son of a bitch. She's jus' fucked up in tha head!"

They all watched as Daryl grabbed his crossbow and rushed out of the house, running as fast as he could to the woods.

Of course they all knew by now that the best thing to do was to leave him alone. He'd come back when he was ready.

"What do we do about Mary-Anne?" Maggie asked Rick and Carol.

"Let me talk to her," Carol said, "I dealt with Lizzie and before that, Sophia would throw fits."

"Alright," Rick agreed, "when you talk to her, see if you can get anythin' out of her about her dad. We need to know if he's in her head like Daryl thinks or if he's really here. And try to calm her down."

It took Carol nearly an hour to convince Mary-Anne to talk to her though her answers were short.

After getting her to talk a little bit, she realized she wasn't getting anywhere with the others around. Mary-Anne was still very much skittish around them so Carol took her out to the back porch.

* * *

 

Beth had laid down on the bed after Daryl left the room but she couldn't sleep.

She didn't miss the way the door slammed and the house rattled with the force of it or the raised voices, Daryl's voice, before that.

She laid there crying, clutching her stomach.

"Mommy?"

Beth opened her eyes to see Caroline standing next to the bed. She wiped the tears from her eyes and face as best she could.

"Hey baby," she smiled at her daughter.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, climbing onto the bed next to her mother.

"Nothin', sweetie. I just don't feel good."

Caroline's eyes opened wide with fear at her mother's words. "Mommy, are you gettin' sick again?" The little girl began to panic, "Where's daddy? You need daddy."

"No, no, baby. It's nothin' like that, I promise," she sat up and cupped Caroline's face in her hands, "I'm not feelin' well. That's it. Okay, baby girl? Mommy's fine."

Caroline nodded and Beth hugged her.

"I love you so much," Beth told her as they laid down.

"I love you too, mommy."

Soon they had both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

Carol had been questioning Mary-Anne for over an hour but she wasn't getting anywhere and her patience was wearing thin.

The only thing Mary-Anne would say was that she wanted her daddy, that he was there and he loved her and her mommy. Other than that, she wouldn't say anything.

"Mary-Anne, you need to answer me," Carol said while pacing.

Mary-Anne simply shook her head no.

"Alright," Carol huffed and sat down across from the child. "Why did you hit your mommy? Can you at least tell me that?"

The child was silent for a moment before looking at Carol.

"Daddy said mommy would only listen to him when he hit her. So I did but she didn't listen. Maybe I didn't hit her like my daddy did."

Carol clasped her hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from throwing up the bile that had risen when Mary-Anne spoke.

A clasp of thunder echoed throughout the house, signaling a storm rolling in.

Mary-Anne jumped up and ran inside.

* * *

 

Beth was suddenly awoken by the sound of the thunder and lighting crackling across the sky.

Caroline was still sleeping soundly, just as she always did when she slept with her mommy and daddy. A little storm wouldn't wake her, she was safe with them.

Beth noticed that Daryl wasn't in bed, surely he was downstairs or on watch and not still out in this weather.

Beth got out of bed to close the window. Just as she reached it, the rain began pouring down heavily and lightning lit up the field outside her window, beyond their fences.

Her hands froze on the open window then they started trembling, her heart began racing, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe. Soon her whole body was shaking with fear.

He was there, in the field. But no, she had to be seeing things...right?

Yes, she told herself. She was seeing things. It was just a walker and all of Mary-Anne's talk about her daddy just had her on edge.

But she could tell herself that until she was blue in the face because her body wasn't listening.

She screamed. A loud deafening scream.

Caroline jumped up in bed as Beth was backing herself into a corner.

She watched as her mommy pulled her legs as close to her as possible, given she looked as though she was about to pop, she covered her ears with her hands, squeezed her eyes shut and started rocking back and forth. All while crying.

Caroline sat there staring before she realized she had to do something.

Her daddy wasn't in there so she ran out of the room and down the hall.

"Grandpa!" she jumped onto Rick's bed. "Grandpa, mommy's sick!"

"What?" Rick asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Mommy's sick," Caroline told him again.

They hurried to Beth.

"Elizabeth," Rick said while slowly approaching her.

She looked up with fear in her eyes.

"Hey, Elizabeth," he calmly said and got on his knees in front of her. "What's wrong, Elizabeth?"

He reached out to touch her shoulder but she flinched away from him.

"I'm not goin' to hurt you, Elizabeth. I want to help you. Okay?"

She nodded but her tears kept falling.

Rick turned to Caroline, "go see if your daddy is downstairs."

Once Caroline had left the room, he turned back to Beth.

"What happened, Elizabeth?"

"He...he's here. I don't want to go back," she cried, "please don't make me."

"Elizabeth, I'm not goin' to make you go back. I'd never do that to you. Where is he?"

She pointed to the still open window.

Rick squinted through the rain as he looked out onto the field.

"Elizabeth, baby, that's a walker."

"No, no, it's him. It's him."

He moved over to her to try to get her to stand up and look out of the window so he could show her it was a walker.

She stood up, with his help, but as he gently tugged her towards the window she started screaming.

"Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself.

"Daddy's not down there," Caroline interrupted his thoughts from the doorway.

"Alright. Go get your aunt Maggie."

While he waited for Maggie, he tried not to make any sudden moves but he wanted Beth to know she was safe.

"Elizabeth, it's alright. I'm not goin' to hurt you."

Just as he was approaching her again, she screamed but this time it was different.

She was in pain.

* * *

 

Daryl had been out in the woods for hours but it did nothing to ease the pains in his chest and the anger that coursed throughout his body.

He was sitting under a tree, drenched by the rain, but he was still close enough to the house that he could get back there without too much effort if he needed to.

He couldn't help but think things over.

He knew what Rick had said was true. Beth had been hurt by so many different men that they couldn't be sure they had killed Mary-Anne's father but that didn't stop him from telling himself that he had indeed killed him. That he could no longer hurt Beth or their kids.

He was dead!

Daryl didn't hear anything but he caught the movement of something out of the corner of his eye.

Tightening his grip on his crossbow, he stood and slowly and quietly made his way over to it.

He couldn't see any tracks or sign on the ground, they had been quickly washed away with the heavy rain.

Without any tracks to follow, he walked in the direction of the movement.

Coming to the edge of the trees, with the house in sight, he raised his crossbow and pointed it at the figure, sticking the edge of the arrow that was loaded into the back of the mans neck.

"Who tha hell are you?" He growled.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"I asked ya who tha hell you are?" Daryl growled.

The man tried to turn around to face Daryl but he wouldn't let him. He jabbed the arrow into the mans neck harder than before.

"Don't move!" He told the man, "an' raise yer God damn hands up."

The man did as he was told.

"I ain't askin' again!" Daryl shouted, "tell me who tha fuck you are!"

"I...my name's Chad. I'm just lookin' for someplace to stay for a night or two."

"What makes ya think ya could stay here?"

The man shrugged. "Y'all seem to have a nice setup. I won't be any trouble. I just need to rest a little before I get back on the road."

"Why was you out here watchin' us if that's all ya wanted?"

"I've learned not to trust people," the man said while lowering his hands just a little, "From what I've seen though, y'all seem like good people."

Daryl wanted nothin' more than to kill that man right there but that wasn't his decision.

Looking up, he saw the glow if a lantern in the window of the bedroom he shared with Beth. He could sew several shadows moving around frantically and one smaller shadow being picked up. He knew that was Caroline but he could only guess at what was happening.

Sensing Daryl was occupied with something else, the man slowly lowered one hand all the way to his belt and unsheathed his knife. He drew his hand back and slammed the blade into Daryl's thigh.

Daryl felt the sharp pain and then another. Before he had time to react, he was on his back on the ground with the man towering over him.

"If ya really need help, it'd be best if ya don't kill me," Daryl told him.

"I wasn't goin' to kill you," he shrugged, "Figured you were about to kill me."

Daryl shook his head and stood up. Something wasn't right with this man but he didn't know what it was yet. This man, Chad, reminded him a little of someone he hadn't thought about in years, Joe. Hell, he even looked like him some now that Daryl could see his face.

He didn't trust him.

* * *

 

Rick held Caroline close as they watched Maggie wipe Beth's forehead with a damp rag while Carol set up everything she'd need to deliver the baby and perform a c-section if necessary.

"Where's Daryl?" Beth cried out.

Rick sat Caroline down on the bed next to her mother, "I'll go see if I can find him."

Beth nodded and squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

Rick grabbed his gun and a knife before walking out the door and running towards the woods.

* * *

 

Daryl ripped his shirt to tie around his leg before picking up his crossbow and motioning for the man to walk towards the house.

There was no way in hell Daryl was going to let him inside...or live.

He walked behind him, crossbow aimed and ready to put him down.

"Daryl!" Rick shouted as he ran towards them.

Without a word, Rick knew exactly what was going on. The look on Daryl's face and the nod he gave him told him everything he needed to know so they walked back silently towards the house.

Once on the porch, Rick pulled out his gun and hit the man over the head.

Together they tied him to the railing and asked Glenn to keep watch.

* * *

 

Beth screamed and pushed just as Daryl and Rick walked into the room.

Daryl rushed to her side while Rick picked up Caroline and sat down in a chair with her.

They sat there for a while longer as Beth screamed and pushed.

"Oh God," Carol murmured to herself and pulled her hands away from Beth.

"Everyone out!" She shouted.

"Why do we need ta get out?" Daryl asked.

"Just get out," Carol told him. "Go be with your daughter." Carol turned to Maggie, "can you step outside, too? I'll call you if I need you."

Maggie nodded, crossed her arms and followed Daryl, Rick and Caroline out of the room.

As the door shut, Beth opened her eyes and looked up to Carol.

She watched as Carol raised her hands.

Everything went black when she saw the blood.

* * *

 

Daryl, Rick and Caroline went downstairs and sat in the living room with Michonne and Sasha.

"How is she?" Michonne asked.

Daryl shrugged and rubbed his eyes, "Hell if I know."

Caroline climbed off the couch and walked over to the stairs where Mary-Anne was now standing.

"C'mon, sissy," Caroline said, "lets go play."

She reached out and grabbed Mary-Anne's hand and led her towards the back porch.

They weren't worried about them being out there because they knew Carl and Tara were now out there playing poker.

They weren't worried until they heard Glenn scream out for them from the front porch.

Rushing outside, they found Mary-Anne kneeling beside the man and untying him.

She smiled up at Daryl. "Thank you for bringing my daddy to me and mommy."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Daryl! Rick!" Carol shouted from Beth's room.

When the two made it up the stairs and into the room, Carol was sitting on the bed next to Beth, wiping her face with a cool rag.

"She passed out," she told them, "I need one of you to help me and the other to hold her down."

"Why?" Daryl asked, "why do you need us to hold her down?"

Rick was already rolling up his sleeves when Daryl looked at him.

"Have you given her anythin'?" Rick asked Carol.

She nodded and pulled the sheet down, exposing Beth's stomach.

"No. Fuck no," Daryl muttered.

"Daryl," Rick said, putting his hands on Daryl's shoulders, "she's goin' to be alright. She's tough."

"I know," Daryl said, looking down at the floor.

"C'mon," Rick urged as he and Daryl stepped closer to the bed.

"Okay," Carol said, looking up at them. "Daryl, get on the bed and gently hold her down. If she starts struggling, then you should put more force into it. Rick, you're goin' to help me. When I cut her open, I need you to reach in and pull out the baby. We won't have much time so you'll have to clean the baby while I stitch her up. Okay?"

Daryl climbed up on the bed and put his hands on Beth's shoulders. He knew he would need to hold her down but he was afraid of hurting her more than she already was.

Rick watched as Carol cut along one of the scars on Beth's stomach. She did it with ease but inside she was terrified and it took all the strength she had to keep her hands from shaking as she cut into Beth.

The next few minutes were a blur for the three of them with Beth screaming in pain and thrashing around on the bed and Carol barking orders at them.

Rick reached his hands into Beth's stomach upon Carol's instruction and gently pulled the baby out and cradled it to his chest.

One look at the baby covered in blood had Daryl leaning over the side of the bed throwing up.

He was used to blood, the sight of it had never bothered him before but somehow, seeing Beth lying there and their baby covered in blood had something inside him twisting to the point he couldn't look at either of them.

Rick rushed out of the room to clean the baby up while Carol took care of Beth.

* * *

 

"How's Bethie?" Maggie asked Rick as she peeked into the room he was in.

"I don't know," he shrugged and lifted Daryl and Beth's baby off the bed.

Maggie stepped into the room and fixed a bottle as Rick sat down, cradling the baby in his arms.

"She's goin' to make it," he said as Maggie handed him the bottle.

"I know," she said and brushed her fingers over the baby's cheeks.

* * *

 

Carol looked up at Daryl as he wiped Beth's face off with a rag.

"Hey," she said, "why don't you go check on Rick and the baby? Go see if you have a son or daughter?"

Daryl shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Daryl, I don't care if you say you're fine or not. You need to go see your baby. Beth will be fine. I'm not goin' to leave her."

He looked at Beth and watched her chest rise and fall with her breaths.

"Alright," he mumbled and stood up.

When he entered Rick's room, he saw Caroline sitting on the bed holding the baby.

She smiled at him, oblivious to what was going on around her. "Daddy! I have a brother," she squealed.

Daryl smirked and chuckled as he sat down next to her and gently took his son out of her arms.

"Aunt Maggie, can I go see mommy now?" Caroline asked.

Maggie shook her head. "Not right now, sweetie. Your mommy needs to rest."

Before another word could be said, they heard screaming followed by a gunshot.

Daryl quickly handed the baby over to Maggie as he and Rick rushed out of the room and outside.

* * *

 

Michonne had a gun pointed at Chad but Mary-Anne was standing in front of him, crying.

"No! Daryl!" Rick and Glenn shouted at the same time Daryl lunged forward, pushing Mary-Anne out of the way, and burying his knife in the mans shoulder.

"Daryl!" Michonne shouted as Tyreese and Abraham pulled him away from the man.

"Daddy?"

Daryl looked from the man to the doorway where Caroline and Maggie were standing.

"Get back inside," he told her through gritted teeth.

"No," she said with her arms crossed over her chest. "You don't gotta hurt anyone daddy."

"Do ya know who tha hell he is, Caroline?"

He watched as she trained her eyes on the man in front of Daryl and cocked her head to the side, watching him.

After a moment, her eyes widened with fear but that disappeared quickly and was replaced with anger.

She was little, small for age, but she was all Beth as she stepped forward and her fist connected with the mans face.

There wasn't much damage done by what she did, but she got her point across and that was enough for Daryl. His baby girl was a Dixon after all.

Caroline got close to the mans face and put her hands on her hips.

"You promised you'd get us out!" She whined and stomped her foot. "You promised!"

"Carrie?" Rick knelt down and pulled her close to him. "How do you know him?"

She looked up at Daryl then back to Rick.

"He promised mommy that he'd get us out of that place but he didn't."

"That doesn't answer his question," Daryl said, never taking his eyes off of Chad.

* * *

 

"Hey, Bethie," Carol muttered as Beth slowly woke up a few hours later.

Her breathing was still ragged and her vision was blurry but she tried not to panic despite the fear creeping up inside her.

"Bethie?" Carol wiped at her face. "Do you know where you are?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Good. Do you know what happened?"

Beth's hand involuntarily jerked and went to her stomach. Carol could see the moment she let her fear take over as her eyes widened and she tried to sit up.

"Whoa, Elizabeth. You're okay. You're fine, the baby is fine," Carol tried to soothe her.

When that failed, Carol rushed downstairs.

Carol's eyes immediately fell on Caroline in Rick's arms.

"Where's Daryl?"

Rick looked out into the yard and pointed towards the trees.

"Oh God," Carol mumbled. "Alright. Rick, I need you to go inside. Beth woke up and was slightly panicked. Can you calm her down?"

"Yeah. I'll take the kids in there."

Carol held up her hands. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'll just carry Caroline and the baby."

"I'll go with them," Maggie said, trying to ease the situation.

"Alright," Carol nodded, "but be careful. Don't leave the kids alone with her."

When Rick and Maggie walked inside and Carol was sure they weren't close, she turned to Michonne.

"Mich, can you go find Daryl? Just tell him Beth needs him," she said before going back inside.

* * *

 

Upstairs, Maggie stood in the doorway, holding the baby with Caroline tucked behind her as Rick slowly made his way towards Beth.

She was still lying on the bed, in pain, but it didn't stop her from being afraid of Rick as he approached her.

"Hey Elizabeth. You feelin' alright?"

Beth whimpered in response and tried to curl in on herself.

She cried out in pain at the movements and clutched the sheets.

"I'm not goin' to hurt you, Elizabeth," Rick said as he inched closer to her.

"It hurts," Beth cried and squeezed her eyes shut. "Make it stop. Please."

"We'll make it stop, Elizabeth. Just look at me."

Beth slowly opened her eyes when Rick placed his hand on her arm, gently stroking it.

Maggie and Caroline took a few cautious steps into the room before Rick looked up at them and stood up to take the small bundle from her arms. Beth watched them nervously then gasped when Rick sat back down next to her and held his arms out.

"You and Daryl have a son," he whispered and gently placed the baby in her waiting arms.

"Where...where's Daryl?" Beth asked, fighting back her tears.

"He'll be inside shortly," Maggie replied as he knelt down next to the bed. "We were all worried about you, Bethie."

* * *

 

Beth drifted in and out of consciousness for the next few days. Only waking long enough to eat a few bites and be given pain medication.

On the eighth day after their baby was born, Beth was finally able to sit up and hold him again. She barely remembered holding him when Rick and Maggie came to see her but this time, Daryl was sitting next to her with their son cradled in his arms.

Daryl smiled at Beth and placed their son in her arms, watching as he opened his eyes to look at his mother.

"He's perfect," she whispered.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed as he leaned over and kissed her head.

Beth looked up at him and smiled. "Have you named him yet?"

"Naw," he shook his head. "Was waitin' on you."

"Uh uh, daddy. Ever'one's been callin' him Baby Daryl an' Aunt Maggie called him Daryl Jr," Caroline said as she crawled onto the bed.

Beth smiled. "I like that."

"Like what?" Daryl asked.

"Daryl Jr. I like it."

Daryl shook his head. "Hell naw. Boy needs his own name."

"C'mon Daryl," Beth pouted. "What's wrong with Daryl Dixon, Jr?"

"I like it, Daddy," Caroline said with a giggle.

Daryl smiled and shook his head. "I don't get a say, do I?"

"You do," Beth said. "So we're not set on his name. We'll figure it out later."

* * *

 

Rick gripped his gun as he knelt down next to Chad. "I'm not askin' you again," he growled. "If you weren't the one hurtin' them, how the hell do you know them?"

"I...I told you. I was tryin' to help them."

"That ain't good enough," Rick said as he stood and kicked the man in the ribs.

He coughed for a few moments, trying to catch his breath before he looked at Rick. "They...," he gasped, "they took my wife. Made me watch while they raped her." He coughed again as he tried to sit up. "Beth, she was there. Helped my wife when she had their bastard."

"That doesn't mean shit! She was there for six fuckin' years."

* * *

 

With the help of Daryl and Maggie, Beth slowly stood up and took a few steps. Taking a deep breathe, she took another step before wincing in pain and griping Daryl's hand tightly.

"Okay, I think that's enough exercise for one day. Get her back in bed," Carol said as she bounced the baby.

Just as Daryl helped Beth lie back down, there was a knock on the door.

"Grandpa!" Caroline shouted and wrapped her arms around Rick's legs.

He patted her head and stepped inside the room. "Y'all mind if I have a word with Beth?"

Daryl gave a quick nod as he scooped Caroline up in his arms and following Carol and Maggie out of the room.

Once everyone had cleared the room, Rick walked over and sat next to Beth on the bed.

"Elizabeth," he started, "I know they've told you about that guy who showed up here but I have a few questions, okay?"

She nodded.

"Did he hurt you or Carrie?"

"If it's really him, no. He didn't hurt us."

"How did you meet him?" He asked and watched as Beth looked down at her hands and began picking at the quilt she was covered with.

"I...uh...after I had Carrie, she was four months old, I ran. I tried to get away, Rick. I really did but they found me," she said with tears in her eyes. "I ran. Must've been away from them for a day or two and Carrie kept cryin' and cryin'. I...I didn't know what to do. His wife, she was there. She heard Carrie and came to help me. That's when they found me...and them."

"Them?"

Beth nodded. "Them. Him...Chad, his wife, Lisa, and their two kids. Their daughter was about Carl's age. I know the kids ran but I don't know what happened to them."

"What about the man and his wife? What happened, Bethie?"

"They took Carrie from me and hit me. Then when Lisa and Chad tried to stop them, they beat them. Made Chad watch while they raped Lisa."

"How was he planning on gettin' you and Carrie out? Why was he willin' to do that? What happened to his wife?"

"I'm not sure how he was planning to get us out. We couldn't exactly make any plans. But, Lisa had asked him to," Beth kept her eyes down to hide the tears that were falling. "She...she had a baby but she didn't make it. Neither one of them did. I killed them, Rick. I had to."

"Look at me, Elizabeth. I need you to start from the beginning. Tell me everythin' that happened."

"I can't," she cried. "I can't."

"Fuck," Rick mumbled as he stood and walked over to the window. Looking out, he could see everyone at the barn, gathered around the man and waiting to find out his fate.

"I need to know why the hell was he followin' us, Elizabeth. So you need to tell me everythin'."

Beth shook her head. "I...I don't know why he followed us. It's been years since I've seen him."

Rick turned back to her. "Years?"

"Yeah."

"Shit." Rick looked back outside then back to Beth. "I'll be right back," he said as he made his way to the door.

Once he was outside, he pulled Daryl, Michonne, Abraham and Glenn aside.

"I don't know what the fuck's goin' on," he told them, "but somethin' ain't right. Beth said she hasn't seen him in years, Caroline acts as if she had seen him right before they left that camp and Mary-Anne thinks he's her dad."

"What do we do?" Glenn asked.

"There's only one thing we can do," Michonne said. "Bring Beth downstairs and let her see him, face to face. Maybe one of them will break and we'll find out what is really goin' on."

"Beth ain't hidin' nothin'," Daryl growled out as he glared at Michonne.

"Daryl, I'm not sayin' she is. But this man has been following us for God knows how long."

"She's right," Glenn said. "Something is goin' on."

"Daryl, do you think you can bring her downstairs?" Rick asked.

Daryl shrugged. "Don't know. Carol don't want 'er walkin' too much."

"I'll help you with her," Michonne offered.

"Okay," Rick said. "Bring her out. We'll make sure none of the kids are around and he won't be able to get to Beth."

* * *

 

Daryl and Michonne slowly helped Beth down the stairs and outside. It took longer than they had expected but Carol had warned them not to push Beth, to let her go at her own pace.

When they got outside, Maggie, Tyreese and Sasha made sure all of the kids were far enough away that if anything went wrong, they wouldn't be witnesses to it.

Rick stepped in front of Beth and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You know why you're out here, right?"

She nodded and, with Michonne and Daryl's help, followed Rick towards the shed they had placed Chad in.

Tara and Glenn opened the door so Abraham could lead him out. They all watched as Abraham removed the pillowcase from over his head, causing Beth to gasp.

She stumbled back and jerked on Daryl and Michonne's hands, wanting them to let go of her.

"No," she muttered. "No, no, no."

"Beth?" Daryl grabbed her before she could fall to the ground. "Beth, look at me."

"No. No," she shook her head and cried. "No. He's not real. He's not real."

"Get her out of here," Rick demanded as Abraham put the pillowcase over Chad's head and threw him back into the shed.

A couple hours later, they finally got Beth inside and calmed down. Daryl and Rick sat with her, waiting to see if she volunteered any information.

"Damn it, Elizabeth," Rick groaned. "You have to talk. We need to know who that is."

Beth shook her head and tucked her hands under the blanket to hide the shaking.

* * *

 

"Here you go, sweetie," Carol said as she handed Caroline a cup of tea and sat down across from her at the kitchen table.

Maggie brushed the little girls hair out of her face and leaned closer to her. "Carrie, sweetie, how do you know that man?"

Caroline shrugged and took a sip of her tea then looked up at her aunt. "He never hurt me. He always told me he was gonna get me an' mommy out of that place but he never did."

"Did he hurt your mommy?" Carol asked.

Caroline looked down and shrugged again.

"That's not an answer, Caroline. Answer Carol."

"I don't know," she said without looking up.

Maggie sighed and rubbed the girls back. "I'm goin' to talk to Abe, see if he got anythin' out of him."

Carol nodded in agreement as Maggie stood and walked off.

* * *

 

"Who the fuck are you?" Abraham growled as he slammed his fist into Chad's face.

"What does it matter? You're goin' to kill me anyway."

"Beth," Daryl reached out to touch her shoulder but she flinched away. "Hey, Beth, look at me, baby."

She didn't want to talk to him or even look at him. She was afraid of what he'd see when she did. Afraid he'd see how damaged she was, how she no longer felt safe. She wanted nothing more than to be able to disappear.

She pulled the blanket over her head when the baby started crying and Daryl sat down on the bed.

"Ya want feed 'im?" Daryl asked her.

"No," she whispered.

"Well, ya kinda need to. We done used all that you'd pumped."

"Fine," Beth groaned and threw back the blankets as she sat up. "Hand him to me."

Daryl brushed his hand over the baby's hair while he nursed. "He still needs a name."

"Whatever you want to name him is fine with me," Beth said.

"C'mon, Beth. Don't be like this. Ya cain't shut us out."

Abraham had his hand around Chad's throat and a gun to his head.

"You're goin' to tell us the truth or we're goin' to make sure you die slow and painfully," Rick said as he brought his machete up to the mans outstretched arm. "Start talkin'."

"I have nothing to say."

Rick cocked his head to the side and stared at the man. "Alright," was all he said as he brought the machete down to the mans hand, cutting off his pinky finger.

His screams echoed throughout the farm, putting everyone on high alert in case any walkers had heard.

"Tell me how you know her!" Rick said, lining the machete up with another finger.

"Y'all aren't that much different from us," the man laughed.

* * *

 

_"I want my mommy!" Caroline screamed._

_"Shh, little girl. I'll let you see your mommy. Okay?"_

_Caroline nodded and sat down but kept her eyes on the man in front of her. "You're not gonna hurt my mommy, are you?"_

_"No," he shook his head, "I'm going to get y'all out of here. I just need you to be real quiet and stay here. I'm going to talk to your mommy. Okay?"_

_Caroline nodded again and watched as the man walked off towards her mother._

_Beth tried to scream but she couldn't. Her whole body felt paralyzed, no doubt from the fear that had struck her._

_"Don't scream," he whispered as he let one hand slide down her stomach while the other gripped her throat._

* * *

 

Rick and Abraham stood there, staring at the man in disbelief and disgust as he writhed on the floor, clutching his hand to his chest.

"Sick. Son. Of. A. Bitch." Abraham growled and accentuated each word with a kick.

Both men stormed out when they heard shouting.

"Don't hurt my daddy!" Mary-Anne screamed and cried. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Tyreese wrapped his arms around the little girl and picked her up before she could run off.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Rick asked.

"She heard him screamin' and ran outside," Carol said as she followed Tyreese and Mary-Anne into the house.

Rick sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm goin' to talk to Daryl and Beth," he told everyone, "keep an eye on him and don't let any of the kids out of y'all's sights."

Daryl was sitting on the bed, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, when Rick walked in.

He took a quick look around the room before settling his eyes on Daryl. "Where's Beth?"

Daryl sighed and rubbed his eyes then motioned towards the corner of the room.

"How long has she been there?" He asked.

"Awhile."

Rick stepped further into the room and sat down in the rocking chair they had found for Beth.

Both men watched her. There was no hiding how scared she was or how much pain she was in but she didn't dare say a word about either.

After awhile, Rick looked to Daryl and rubbed his hands together, trying to decide the best way to tell Daryl what he had found out.

Daryl eyed him curiously for a moment before speaking. "Ya gon' spit it out or do I gotta guess what tha hell yer thinkin'?"

Rick sighed and leaned back. "Well, from what he said, everythin' is just how we thought. He claims to be Mary-Anne's dad, he hurt Beth and he sweet-talked Caroline." He glanced over to Beth to see she was covering her face with her hands while her whole body was shaking. "He killed that Chad guy after they found out he was plannin' on helpin' Beth and Caroline escape."

"Did ya kill 'im?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head.

Daryl looked at Beth to see her watching them then he turned back to Rick. "We cain't let 'im live."

"I agree. We'll figure out what to do."

* * *

 

Later that night, while Beth was rocking the baby, she felt herself being drawn back in to what she had been before.

She needed to protect her family, not hide like she wanted to do. She had put them all through enough hurt, now she needed to do something to make up for it but she wasn't quite sure what she needed to do.

For the next two days, she kept an eye on everyone. Memorizing their watch schedule and where everyone was during their breaks.

By the third night, she was able to make it downstairs quietly and without anyone's help.

She left Daryl lying in bed asleep with their son tucked into his bassinet by the bed and their other kids tucked into sleeping bags on the floor.

Bob, Sasha, Glenn, Michonne, Tara and Rosita were all on watch throughout the farm, only Sasha and Tara were keeping an eye on the shed whenever they passed by it.

She was careful not to let the screen door slam on her way out as she made her way to the shed.

Opening the door, she raised her knife and stepped inside. The glow from the moonlight had been enough to light her way but once she was inside, she was surrounded by darkness.

She felt him before she heard him. He grabbed a hold of her ponytail and snarled as he jerked her backwards, causing Beth to fall to the ground.

His hands were still tied together, all five fingers were missing on one hand, but he was still able to overpower her.

Though she had heard him snarling, it didn't immediately register in her head that he wasn't alive, at least not until he was on top of her and she was staring into his cold, glassy eyes and his snapping jaw.

"DARYL!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Daryl!" Beth screamed again as she struggled with the walker on top of her.

She felt its hands drift down to her stomach, searching out the scent of her blood and grasping for the incision.

She cried and prayed to God that someone would find her before it was too late.

* * *

 

Daryl shot up in bed as soon as he heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot.

He panicked when he noticed Beth wasn't in bed with him and as quietly as he could he climbed out of bed, being careful not to disturb any of the children.

* * *

 

Rick stood in shock at the sight before him, not noticing Daryl running his way.

"Rick!" Daryl shouted, "tha fuck's goin' on?"

Rick didn't answer. Instead, he stepped into the shed and knelt down.

"Give me the gun," he said in a hushed voice.

"Caroline?" Daryl huffed out when he reached them.

"Carrie, put the gun down," Rick started pleading. "Give the gun to me or your dad, please."

"No, grandpa!" She shouted.

Daryl stood there in shock as he watched Caroline still holding the gun and arguing with Rick.

Beth whimpered and bit her bottom lip as she tried to push the body off of herself. She groaned and squirmed, catching Daryl's attention.

"Jus' wait," he whispered to her. Kneeling down, he pushed the body off of her and opened the front of her shirt to check the incision on her stomach.

He glanced up at her face then back down at her stomach.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Beth choked out.

He shook his head and gently lifted her up to carry her inside. Rick watched with tears in his eyes as Daryl stepped out of the shed.

"Carrie, your mommy is hurt," he heard Rick whisper behind him. "Give me the gun so we can go inside."

He didn't have to turn around to see the look on his daughters face, he knew if he did it would just cause him to break down.

"Mommy's hurt?" he heard Caroline whine, seconds later he heard the gun hit the floor of the shed.

Others rushed towards him but quickly moved away, their voices distorting in his ears as they overlapped.

* * *

 

The moment Daryl stepped through the door with Beth in his arms, Carol was on his heels.

She instructed him to carry Beth to Rick's room so the kids wouldn't see her and once he laid her down on the bed, Carol rushed to his side and opened Beth's shirt.

"Oh God," she whispered to herself before turning to look at him. "What happened?"

He shook his head. "I don't know but there was a….a walker an' he was on top of 'er."

"Mommy?" Caroline cried from the doorway, both Carol and Daryl turned to see her in Rick's arms.

"Get her out of here," Carol snapped. She quickly removed Beth's shirt then grabbed some towels out of the bathroom. "Daryl," she said calmly, "I need you to go get Bob and Maggie. Okay?"

Daryl nodded but didn't move from his spot next to Beth.

"She needs help and I can't do this on my own so go get them," Carol said.

Before he could move, Maggie and Bob came rushing into the room, each of them carrying a bag of medical supplies.

"I told them you needed help," Rick said, following them into the room. He reached out and grabbed Daryl's arm, tightening his grip when Beth whimpered and Daryl leaped towards her. "No," he shook his head. "There's a room full of kids who need you right now. Let them do what needs to be done."

"I ain't leavin' 'er," Daryl growled.

"You have to," Rick pulled him towards him, taking small steps towards the door until they were out of the room. "She'll be fine," he said as Maggie shut the door behind them.

* * *

 

"What happened to her?" Maggie asked, looking down at her sister.

"I'm not sure," Carol responded, handing some gauze to Bob. "Daryl said a walker was on top of her. I don't know if the walker ripped open her stomach or if she pulled it open while trying to get away or even moving the wrong way."

Bob busied himself with removing the torn stitches in Beth's stomach and looking her over for any signs that this was in fact done by a walker but the whole time, he was listened to Maggie and Carol and listening to any sounds Beth made.

Once he had carefully removed the stitches, he cleaned the blood from around the incision and sat back, staring at it.

"There's not scratches," he finally said. "She must have pulled them during the struggle but I can't guarantee there won't be an infection of some kind or that blood or any other debris from the walker didn't get inside the wound."

"So what do we do?" Carol asked, ready to do anything and everything possible to try to save Beth's life.

"All we can do is start her on an IV with antibiotics, clean the wound, and…."

"Pray," Maggie finished for him.

"Yeah," he nodded and began doing what he needed to do.

* * *

 

Daryl sat in his and Beth's room while the children were downstairs with Michonne, Tara and Sasha keeping them occupied but he wasn't alone.

He had his son clutched to his chest as tightly as he could without hurting the baby and Rick was in the chair in the corner of the room, rocking Caroline as she drifted in and out of sleep.

When Rick reached over and pulled a blanket over himself and Caroline, Daryl looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"What if…." He began.

"Don't go there," Rick whispered loud enough he could hear him. "Once you start thinkin' about that, you won't be here and these two kids need you. All of the kids need you but especially these two."

"He ripped 'er open," Daryl muttered.

Rick understood all too well how Daryl was feeling. The thought of the women he loves so much leaving him alone in this world with their children. Children he loved and would kill for, has killed for, but alone. That would drive a man crazy and it had both driven them crazy. That kind of darkness they each fell into, chasing ghosts and wanting nothing more than to lay down and let this world take them so they could be with the one they loved. They had both been there and they had both made it back.

* * *

 

The sun was high in the sky and shone brightly throughout the room when Carol finally came in. Her hands and shirt were covered in blood and she had tears in her eyes for the first time in years.

"Daryl," she breathed out, choking back the tears that threatened to fall.

Rick and Daryl both stood, each still holding onto the children they held throughout the night.

"You should put him down," she said. "And come with me."

He didn't nod, didn't make a move to acknowledge what she had said, just held onto his son as he was preparing himself for what he felt would be the end of his life, the end of this world.

He felt Carol's hand on his harm, the stickiness of Beth's blood causing him to cringe but he knew he had to do this. He laid his son down in his bassinet and let Carol lead him to the room Beth was in.

When she opened the door, Maggie was sitting next to the bed, clutching Beth's hand in her own and crying. He couldn't make out what she was saying but it sounded like a prayer or maybe the lyrics to a long forgotten song, he liked that thought best.

Maggie looked up when he approached the bed and laid her sister's hand down then stood so Daryl could take her place. He didn't sit though, not until he knew Maggie and Carol were out of the room and the door had shut.

He looked down at her, eyes closed and skin as pale and flawless as ever but still beautiful.

Was this really it? Was this how it ended for him, for all of them?

Without thinking, his hand went to his knife, her knife really, and he placed it on the table beside the bed. He wasn't sure if they had taken care of her or not, maybe they had left that for him to do so he could finally have the closure he missed out on so many years ago.

But before he even tried to do what he may have to, before he even thought of that, he sat down and reached out and took her cold hand in his.

He leaned over, brought her hand to his lips and kissed it while finally letting his tears fall onto her skin. He couldn't breath and even if he could, he knew he would never be able to tell her how he felt. How sorry he was this had happened to her, how much he would miss her and always love her. He couldn't even make a final promise to her that he would keep their children safe, all of their children.

* * *

 

He sat at her bedside for what felt like an eternity, dead and closed off to the world around him, the only sound he could hear was the pounding of his own heart ringing in his ears.

His eyes were closed, his head on the bed next to their joined hands, when her fingers twitched.

He cursed himself and kissed her hand again, not wanting to reach for the knife and being able to reach for it anyway.

There was another twitch and a groan, then a deep breath.

A whisper of his name fell on his ears but he didn't turn around to see who had called him.

"Daryl," his name was whispered again, sounding closer to him than the first time.

"It hurts."

His head snapped up, blurry eyes searching her face for any sign he hadn't gone crazy.

Her eyes were open and as blue as ever.

"It hurts so bad," she whispered hoarsely and squeezed his hand.

She was watching him, studying his face.

"Oh God," she whispered with a cry. "Where's Carrie?"

"She's fine," he was quick to say. "She's fine."

"Then what's…." she stopped and squeezed his had tighter. "Oooh….it hurts."

"Carol! Maggie!" he shouted without letting go of her hand.

The two women and Rick both stormed into the room, knives and guns ready.

"She's in pain," Daryl said, turning to them. "She's hurtin'. Y'all got anythin' for 'er?"

Maggie gasped and sobbed, Rick catching her before she hit the floor. Carol standing there for a moment silent and in shock before rushing over to the table that was set up and pulling out a bottle of pills and a bottle of water.

She was at Beth's side, handing her the pills and holding the bottle up to her lips before Rick had Maggie sitting in the now vacant chair beside the bed.

"These won't work right away, it'll take them a few minutes," Carol said to Beth. "But they should ease the pain. It may not go away completely but it'll ease it." Carol gave her a soft smile and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm goin' to get Bob so he can come take another look at her," she told the others.

* * *

 

For the life of her, Beth couldn't understand why everyone was reacting the way they were.

Maggie was near hysterics, but she kept thanking God and crying. Rick couldn't keep himself from smiling, an almost proud smile. And Daryl, well she could see he was in shock but there was relief in his eyes. He tried not to let any of what he was feeling show but she knew, he knew she could read him.

Bob came in shortly after Carol had gone after him and gave her a once over. He seemed to be just as shocked as the others were and that's when her curiosity got the better of her.

"Bob," she whispered, voice still hoarse. "What happened? Why are y'all actin' like this?"

Bob smiled. "You're a miracle in a world that's gone to hell. You should be dead, you were dead but you're back now. There's a reason for it but I don't know what that reason is except maybe God knew we needed you here more than he needed you."

* * *

 

The months went on and Beth healed better than they thought she would.

With the changing season, the farm became more sustainable. They were able to have their gardens of fruits and vegetables, and even flowers. The fences were up and well-guarded. They found a few animals, not many but enough to supply them will a few essentials, just a few pigs, chickens, goats and even a cow, heifer and bull. And probably the best thing yet, the walkers had slowed down more than before.

Things were going good, as good as they could be anyway.

And Daryl and Beth, well, they had settled on a name for their son after all.

Daryl Dixon, Jr.

* * *

 

On his first birthday, Beth and Daryl held him close and listened to Michonne, Abraham and Sasha tell them about a community they had found on one of their month long runs.

The community, the Alexandria Safe Zone as they had called it, sounded too good to be true but after meeting with the man they had brought back with them, Rick agreed to establish a trade.

He wasn't willing to risk the lives of his family, especially those of his kids and grandkids. They were his responsibility and, honestly, his world.

After they all had a discussion about it, he was quick to change the subject to that of his grandson, Daryl Jr.

The little baby was such a miracle and was adored by everyone and they had all been able to find or make him gifts.

Maggie placed her hand over her own stomach as she slid her, Glenn and little Beth's gift across the table. Before Beth or Daryl could open it for their son, Maggie blurted out, "I found it in the basement a few months ago. Annette had made it for you when you were a baby. I remember going to the store with her to pick out the yarn, it was the same day her and daddy found out they were expecting you."

Beth gasped and wiped tears from her eyes when Daryl ripped open the paper the gift was wrapped in and held up her old afghan.

As each gift was passed to them and opened, each kid awed at them though they already knew what the gifts were.

When they were done, Beth and Daryl placed their son in the arms of his grandpa and went outside while all of the children ran around in the yard, playing and chasing each other.

Daryl held Beth's hand as they walked out to the garden of flowers and they each picked one before continuing past it to the trees where they had buried so many people forever ago.

Beth placed her flower down first, then Daryl placed his beside her.

They didn't speak, just stared at the name on the cross in front of them. They were saddened to see it there so soon but they understood. What happened had to happen and they weren't mad at the one who had done it.

"I'll always love and miss you, Mary-Anne," Beth whispered and with that, they made their way back inside.

She would never get over losing a child, even though that child been lost to her, to them, for a long time.

Carol pursed her lips and pulled Beth into a hug when they reached the porch. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Neither Beth nor Daryl said anything. Today was supposed to be a happy day, they were just remembering their lost daughter and they had long forgiven Carol for what she had done. They understood it.

"Daddy!" Caroline shouted and ran up the porch steps. "Daddy, hold me!"

Daryl scooped up his baby girl and they all went inside where Rick handed Daryl Jr. to his mama and made his way outside to keep an eye on all of the kids.

Beth held the baby to her as she sat down on the couch, Daryl and Caroline sitting beside her, both children were soon asleep and Beth had her head resting on Daryl's shoulder.

"Ya know," he whispered. "I ain't never looked at you an' seen jus' another dead girl. You're so much more than that, Beth. Shit, you've come back from tha dead several times already an' I want ya to know, I love you."

Beth smiled up at him.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

_ **THE END** _


End file.
